Potential fulfilled in powerful 'Passion'

Watching Chicago Shakespeare Theater's intimate revival of "Passion," I was struck again by the brilliance of Stephen Sondheim's rhapsodic score, whose haunting melodies weave their way throughout the musical and linger in the mind long after it ends.I was taken again with the candor and eloquence of Sondheim's lyrics, a departure from the caustic wordplay that often characterizes his work. And I was reminded again why director Gary Griffin has been heralded as one of Sondheim's foremost interpreters. His masterful staging on CST's upstairs stage (the perfect scale for this evocative chamber operetta) confirms his reputation.Lastly, I was struck by the ability of Griffin's fine cast to humanize the characters of this tragic love triangle written by frequent Sondheim collaborator James Lapine. I left the theater realizing I have judged them too severely. The ailing Fosca (a convincing, vulnerable Ana Gasteyer), insatiably in love with the handsome soldier Giorgio (Adam Brazier), has always struck me as a master manipulator. As her former husband (deliciously played by Jeremy Rill) observes, she is not quite the victim she appears, which Gasteyer effectively conveys.But Gasteyer invites our compassion. Walking a fine line between sympathetic and insufferable, she entices and alienates us with Fosca's misery. That's what makes her performance so compelling, even if it was hampered by a voice that sounded strained.To me, Giorgio has always been a weak man, content with his undemanding affair with the married Clara (the brilliant Kathy Voytko, whose luscious soprano is a joy to hear). Brazier reveals the conflict behind the genial exterior of a man slowly transformed by an all-consuming love. His gradual embrace of Fosca's passion -- "love without reason, love without mercy, love without pride or shame" -- and his rejection of the imitation he shared with Clara is moving and credible.Griffin doesn't reinvent "Passion," but he reignited mine for a work that I now fully appreciate. "Passion". . . #189;out of fourLocation: Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand Ave., ChicagoTimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 1 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 11Running Time: About 100 minutes, no intermissionTickets: $54, $70Parking: Discounted parking available in Navy Pier garageBox office: (312) 595-5600, www.chicagoshakes.comRating: For adults; contains nudity, sexual situations